It is with deepest sympathies and a heavy heart that once again we have to bring home a young man who gave his life for his country. Sgt. Ryan Connolly made the ultimate sacrifice on June 24th 2008.

On the Harley, kick stand up 10:30 AM off to Santa Rosa Airport to meet up with PGR bikers from the North Bay. To honor a true American hero
Stg. Ryan Connolly. His American flag draped over his casket, arrived in Santa Rosa with full military honor's at 11:00 AM.
The motor escort team along with Santa Rosa PD, CHP. Sonoma County Sheriff Dept Sonoma county Fire Dept..

This was my 3rd escort. Hard to ride with tears in your eyes.


PGR.

Best

Ron

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Ron
Just noticed you're located in Healdsburg. My son lives there and we visit as often as we can. Used to be a sleepy little town and I occasionally went up there to pick up a glu-lam or two (Timber Structures) when I was a builder. Now it’s a destination town with Carmel like shops, wine tasting rooms and fancy hotels. How time flies.

__________________
Jerry McCarthy
Construction Consultant
www.expertbuildingconsultants.com

Jerry if you are ever up this way please call me. I would love to have a cup of coffee with you and just talk.

Best

Ron

My sympathies to the family of Sgt. Connolly as well.
I can't imagine the heartache that they are facing now.
It is sad that we find ourselves having to defend not only the innocent of Iraq & Afganistan (the enslaved, the abused, the women and children and those who are not of the ruling Muslim sect all have lives of freedom now compared to pre-invasion) but our own families as well. My sincere thanks to Sgt. Connolly and his family for risking all that they hold dear for those innocents and those of this nation as well.

My own son-in-law just rejoined the Marines. He participated in the original Iraq invasion and was discharged as a Sergeant. He now has a platoon sergeant billet at Camp LeJeune and his company is receiving new Marines each week as they complete their schools. His regiment is awaiting orders for the middle east. I understand that a few NCO's are being selected from their regiment to fill vacant billets in the middle east even now.

I am proud of everyone in our military who is able to see the need to fight Aikaida and the Taliban over there rather than wait until they can bring their sneak attacks over here again. They are protecting all of us from a very deadly and immoral enemy. We owe them our deepest gratitude and support for their cause the same way we supported our troops during World War II. Always remember that America has fought for and won battles on many foreign soils but we never keep it. We return it to the inhabitants who want to be free in their own land and if we remain it is by invitation only for the protection of the weak. I am so proud of this country and its veterans!
There will always be someone in this land who just can't embrace the need to defend ourselves or others from the Fascists and cruel dictators of this world. Even after Pearl Harbor there was one member of congress who voted "no" on declaring war on Japan; a woman. Such irresponsibility is even more common today.
Again. I am so proud of this country and its veterans!

Attending the funeral of a person who served military time, whether long ago or in current times, is an extremely powerful and emotional image. Seeing a military official hand a folded flag over to a spouse or family member of the deceased and hearing the official thank the receiver of the flag for the service of that family member...........it's more than words can describe.